A proud program of AGE of Central Texas

Month: November 2013

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Several people have requested that we bring back the Brain Fitness Program. While there are still some extra costs involved, overall costs have been reduced significantly. We believe that it is now appropriate to provide, once again, a Brain Fitness Club for seniors. We think it will be an opportunity you won’t want to miss. This is an opportunity to participate in activities that can improve your cognitive abilities, particularly those related to visual and audio perception and memory.

There will be a free lecture entitled “Introduction to a New Brain Fitness Club at the AGE Computer Lab” given by Kent Stewart on Monday, January 13, 2014 from 9:30-11:30am. This free lecture will be repeated on Monday, January 27, 2014 from 9:30-11:30am.

This two-hour lecture will present a brief discussion of brain plasticity followed by an overview of those activities known to or perceived to, improve cognitive function. Special emphasis will be given to use of the BrainHQ computer-based programs that have been shown to improve brain function in seniors. The promising results from the AGE pilot brain fitness will presented. Students will be given some key references for improving brain function for seniors including book titles and web sites.

The lecture will also provide operational and administrative details for the proposed AGE Computer Lab’s Brain Fitness Club starting in February, which will be instructed by Kent Stewart.

When you learn something new, connections in your brain are made using different paths, allowing your brain to process information more quickly and more deeply. But going beyond that, learning photography seems to make those connections stronger and longer lasting.

More than 200 people who were over 60-years-old were split into various testing groups and asked to commit at least 15 hours per week to the activities.

One group learned photography with digital cameras and imaging software, a task requiring remembering verbal instruction and complex reasoning. A second group learned quilting with computer controlled sewing machines, requiring abstract thinking to create patterns. Participants in other groups performed passive tasks such as playing games, telling stories, or going to museums.

Only those who spent the time learning quilting or photography saw the improvement in their mental abilities. What a wonderful side benefit of learning how to take and edit great pictures!

This (not so surprising) news falls on exactly the right day – November 1st – the first day to sign-up for our clubs. If you are interested in keeping your brain sharp, check out the amazing clubs we offer. They all meet at different times and different days of the week, so you’re sure to find one or more that work with your schedule. Our photography clubs are dedicated to taking and editing photos, using certain photo editing software, taking photos on your smartphone, or even how to create amazing layers of photos in one image. The options (and new brain connections) are endless!

And if you’re not into photography, don’t worry – we’ve got other clubs that cover topics including Macintosh products, PCs, the internet, and even online genealogy.

REGISTER TODAY as our clubs are some of the most popular things we offer – they fill up quickly.